Week-424-February-11-2009

Where does SWAT/ERT rank in your department’s priorities list? Take the P1 homepage poll, and be sure to join the conversation beneath the news, tips and exclusive articles featured in the redesigned PoliceOne SWAT Topic page.

— Doug Wyllie, PoliceOne Senior Editor

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10-8: Life on the Line

Jurors learn edged weapon and use of force realities in $8M lawsuit

By Chuck Remsberg
Senior PoliceOne Contributor

When four officers arrived to deal with a 38-year-old electrician who’d “flipped out,” he was wearing six baseball caps and had stuffed a teddy bear under his tool belt. What began as a “mental health assist” quickly turned into a matter of officer survival when the subject charged at the cops with a screwdriver, clutched above his head like a dagger ... Full Story

The county's small lab is being overwhelmed because local police departments see the increasing backlog at state labs. (AP Photo)

LANSING, Mich. — Law enforcement officials used words like "Armageddon" to warn lawmakers of a crisis brewing at state crime labs, where caseloads are up 25 percent since Detroit's police lab was shut down more than four months ago.
Detroit's work is being handled by Michigan State Police forensic scientists after an audit found errors in 10 percent of 200 random gun cases. Many of the state's 216 forensic employees are working up to 30 hours of overtime each two-week pay period to keep up with added workload ... Full Story

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Today's P1 tactical tip focuses on an odd theft -- that of a Jaws of Life rescue tool -- and sheds new light on the possible purpose behind it. The incident underscores the importance of thinking outside the box when handling crimes like this ...
Full tip

Sponsored by Thermal-Eye
The Thermal-Eye Renegade-320 is a multi-purpose handheld thermal imager that can be mounted on a tripod or a weapon. Its lightweight design, advanced features, and impressive image detail provide significant tactical advantages for military and law enforcement agencies. For more details, visit www.thermal-eye.com.This newsletter consists of L-3 Communications Corporation, Infrared Products Division, general capabilities information that does not contain controlled technical data as defined within the International Traffic in Arms (ITAR) Part 120.10 or Export Administration Regulations (EAR) Part 734.7-11.

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